An extra L1 billion will be invested in major transport projects next year to stimulate the economy. It will accelerate government plans to cut congestion and significantly increase rail capacity. By Transport Secretary, Geoff Hoon.

THE government is investing an extra L1bn in major transport projects next year.

This includes the L700m fiscal stimulus announced in November’s Pre Budget Report to make the most of Britain’s rail and road networks. And L300m of new government funding to speed up the delivery of improved transport links to key UK airports and ports. They will also offer more environmentally-friendly options for transporting freight.

I want business to be able to choose how and when they travel and to do so reliably, comfortably and safely. I therefore remain committed to tackling the problems of congestion and crowding, while at the same time reducing transport-related greenhouse gas emissions.

Congestion, whether it is on our roads or railways, is not just a nuisance to travellers. It is also a tax on the productivity of our businesses. If left unchecked it could become a brake on growth. That is why I am accelerating plans to make better use of Britain’s motorways. And also earmarking a further L300 million to remove bottlenecks and increase capacity on road links to key airports and ports.

Our railways are more important than ever. More people are travelling on our trains and more freight is transported by rail. We have already pledged L10bn to increasing rail capacity, and as part of this promised to deliver 1300 new carriages by March 2014. Today’s announcement will allow us to provide 200 of these earlier than previously planned.

The L700m fiscal stimulus announced in the Pre Budget Report will deliver three key transport milestones, including:

• Delivery of 200 new carriages early for rail passengers in the Thames Valley, around Bristol and on longer distance inter-urban services in Northern England.
• Acceleration of work to make better use of motorways, following detailed examination of hard-shoulder running. In the New Year we will announce on which motorways we are able to open the hard-shoulder to traffic.
• Work could now start next year, two years early, on providing a new fast link between the A1 and M1 by dualling the missing section of A46 from Newark to Widmerpool. This could enable the scheme to open to traffic in late 2011 – rather than in 2016.

As well as this, the government has earmarked L300m to improve access routes to some of our key international gateways – airports and ports – subject to co-funding also being made available by regional and other partners. These include:

• Up to L165m dedicated to creating a new road link between Manchester Airport and the A6 to the east.
• An extra L54m to help enhance the North London rail line to increase the long-term freight capacity of this vital cross-London rail route. The full package of improvements, delivered by Network Rail and building on investment by TfL, will restore four tracks from Dalston Junction to west of Camden Road, alleviate current bottlenecks, improve signalling and other infrastructure in order to provide new capacity for freight and rail trains.
• Up to L60m will be invested in introducing new traffic management measures to improve safety, reduce delays and tackle congestion along 54 miles of the A12 – the main road link and a key freight route from London through Essex and Suffolk to the Felixstowe and Harwich Ports – some of the UK’s busiest ports.
• Up to L30m will be available to help improve access on the A160/A180 to Immingham Port on the River Humber.

Further information

‘Delivering a Sustainable Transport System’, which explains how the government is putting its longer-term approach to transport planning into action, is available at: www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/transportstrategy/dasts